My three wishes for 2018 – Jamie Richmond

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2017 was a hit and miss year for me. While it did have plenty of highlights to pick from, it also had more than a few low points too. And now that 2018 is upon us (in fact we are already more than 3 weeks into the year) it feels like a good point to set some targets. So, here is a list of three things I would like to achieve this year.

Release two books.

Writing, editing and then self-publishing a book is no mean feat in itself. But this year I’m hoping to get it done twice. Back in August 2017 I released my very first book, Night Fall. This adult fantasy-fiction novel about vampires and witches; had been literally years in the making. What started out as a bunch of short stories that were supposed to link up eventually became the novel series ‘Apocalypse Genesis’. Last year I finally managed to get around to finishing and releasing the first instalment. This year I plan on releasing books two and three. In order to achieve this crazy target I have set myself, I will need ridiculous amounts of time and dedication, aswell as bucket loads of luck and support from friends, family and fans.

Lose weight.

Losing weight is easy. All you have to do is burn more calories than you consume. Simple right? No, because life throws temptations (disguised as takeaways and cake) at us all the time. However, if you learn to resist temptation than you can succeed, even if it’s only on a small scale for now. A few years ago, I quit smoking and piled the weight on (jumping from 15 stone to nearly 20). That was the point I decided enough was enough and I needed to diet. There is nothing wrong with being that size, but I wasn’t happy in myself. A few months of subway salads and I dropped back down to 18 stone. It was a start, but then Christmas arrived and I put 5 back on. Determined not let the previous hard work go to waste I have got back on it. This time, I have added regular exercise to my plan in order to shift a few more stone and get back into the clothes I used to love wearing.

Find a new job.

I am very fortunate in the fact I currently have a full-time job as a groundsman/health and safety co-ordinator. However, I can say hand on heart it isn’t what I want to do. Growing up I always dreamed of being an actor or a writer, but that’s exactly what they were, dreams. No matter how much I wanted to do them, I never saw them as a real possibly. Now that I am older, I pursue writing/acting as a hobby, which I do as often as I am able. My dream and the last of my 3 aims for 2018, is to turn my hobby into a real life paying job.